Instagram enforces new usage limits for teens in South Korea with parental controls

Instagram’s new ‘Teen Accounts’ feature, designed to protect young users, has officially been implemented in South Korea starting January 22. According to an Instagram spokesperson, the global rollout began on January 21 (U.S. PST) and was applied to South Korea beginning the morning of January 22 (KST).

The feature, introduced last year, aims to limit excessive usage and exposure to inappropriate content for teenage users. It was first launched in September 2024 in English-speaking countries, including the U.S. and Australia, and gradually expanded to the EU by late 2024. Now, the remaining global regions, including South Korea, will see the feature implemented, with the rollout expected to be completed by mid-2025.

In South Korea, teenagers aged 14 to 18 will experience significant changes to their Instagram accounts. Existing accounts for teens will automatically switch to private, while newly created accounts for this age group will also have private settings as the default. Teen users will only receive direct messages (DMs) from people they follow or are already connected with. Additionally, viewing of sensitive content, such as violent material, will be heavily restricted. Notifications will prompt teens to close the app after 60 minutes of usage. Furthermore, a usage restriction mode will deactivate notifications, and auto-replies will be sent for DMs between 10 PM and 7 AM.

The updated feature also empowers parents with greater control. Parents can view their child’s contacts and set app usage limits. Teens aged 14 to 16 will require parental approval to switch their accounts from private to public, while those aged 17 or older can make this change independently.

Instagram plans to host a dedicated session on February 11, Safer Internet Day, to provide more details about the implementation of teen accounts in South Korea.

Meta’s Head of Safety Policy for the Asia-Pacific region explained during a Youth Safety Roundtable in November 2024 that years of conversations with teens, parents, and experts highlighted the need to differentiate safety measures by age. Parents, in particular, expressed a desire to monitor their children’s online activity and screen time.

Concerns over unregulated social media exposure for teens have gained global attention. In November 2024, Australia became the first country to pass legislation banning social media use for children under 16 without parental consent. Norway is currently considering raising the minimum age for social media use from 13 to 15.

Instagram’s rollout of teen accounts in South Korea represents a proactive step toward addressing these growing global concerns and creating a safer online environment for young users.